Steve Ballmer Says He Was 'Conned' as NBA Probes Alleged Secret Payments to Kawhi Leonard

Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer vehemently denied any involvement in an alleged scheme to funnel millions to Kawhi Leonard, saying he had been “conned” as the NBA investigates reports of secret, indirect payments that could have been used to circumvent the league’s salary cap.

The allegations, first highlighted this week by reporter Pablo Torre, cite a 2025 bankruptcy filing that lists the Clippers and a company owned by Leonard, KL2 Aspire LLC, as creditors of Aspiration QFZ LLC, a unit of fintech and sustainability firm Aspiration Partners Inc. Torre’s report said the subsidiary entered into a $28 million agreement described as a "no-show" contract with KL2 Aspire.

Torre and subsequent coverage by other outlets reported that the agreement was structured to provide payments indirectly to Leonard. Separately, the Boston Sports Journal reported that Leonard may have received an additional $20 million "side deal" from Aspiration. The Daily Mail said it obtained a federal bankruptcy filing from Delaware showing unsecured claims of roughly $30 million and $7 million associated with the Clippers and KL2 Aspire LLC, respectively.

Ballmer, who has invested about $50 million in Aspiration, denied the allegations and said he had been deceived, according to published accounts. The Daily Mail and other outlets said they have not yet obtained the contracts that purportedly document the payments and are seeking to do so.

The NBA has opened a probe into the matter, league officials and media reports said. Under NBA rules, teams, players and other parties may face penalties if they are found to have engaged in deals intended to skirt the salary cap or other collective bargaining provisions. The league did not immediately provide details about the scope or status of its review.

The bankruptcy filing that prompted the reporting stems from Aspiration QFZ LLC. It lists unsecured claims tied to multiple parties; the filings and the assertions drawn from them are central to the current reporting. News organizations have described the $28 million arrangement as a "no-show" contract; those characterizations come from reporting rather than court findings.

Aspiration Partners Inc. described itself publicly as a fintech and sustainability brand; media reports note Ballmer’s investment in the company but have not produced public confirmations of the alleged payments to Leonard. The Daily Mail said it is still working to obtain the underlying contracts that would show the terms of any agreements between Aspiration QFZ LLC and KL2 Aspire LLC.

The reporting has prompted scrutiny of the Clippers organization and Leonard’s business arrangements. Neither the Clippers nor Leonard’s representatives have publicly acknowledged the specific agreements described in the bankruptcy documents cited in recent reports. The league's investigation could take weeks or months, depending on the availability of documents and the complexity of transactions under review.

The potential repercussions, if the league substantiates that payments were made to influence a player’s salary or free-agent status, include fines, forfeiture of draft picks or other sanctions against teams and involved parties. The NBA has previously disciplined clubs and individuals for financial arrangements that violated the collective bargaining agreement, but investigators typically seek direct documentary evidence to support disciplinary action.

For now, the matter rests on the bankruptcy filings and reporting by multiple outlets. The Daily Mail said it obtained the Delaware federal court filing and listed the unsecured claims; Torre’s report referenced that filing and additional documents. News organizations covering the story said they are pursuing the contracts and other records that could clarify whether payments were made as alleged, and the NBA said it is reviewing the available information as part of its probe.